Airport building future site of mead, cider production plant?

MILLVILLE - Two South Jersey men hope to open the state's second "meadery" this year at a long empty aviation facility at the municipal airport.

Painted People LLC intends to make mead, an ancient alcoholic beverage made from honey, as well as apple cider. Its suppliers are both in Monroeville: Fruitwood Orchards, for honey; and Mood's Farm, for apples.

The company still must apply for a New Jersey "cidery and meadery license." However, it first must show it owns or leases a specific location to obtain that license.

Corbin resident Philip Sieri, one of two partners in the venture, told The Daily Journal on Friday that only a few details remain to finalize a lease.

The proposed site is a building at 313 Beacon Avenue, formerly part of the Dallas Airmotive aviation repair company. The Delaware River and Bay Authority operates the airport for the city and negotiates leases.

Sieri said the meadery idea attracted attention from the Federal Aviation Administration and ended up slowing the pace of talks. The FAA has an office at the airport and it insisted the lease specifically prohibit anything that could interfere with flight operations, he said.

"A few weeks ago, DRBA added that clause," Sieri said. "So now, it’s just last little tidbits that they need to wrap up on their end to give us the final approved lease."

Sieri said another major holdup was getting the authority to take away a security fence that limits access to Beacon Avenue.

The next municipal-level step for Painted People, after getting the lease signed, is to return before the city Zoning Board with a site plan. The board first reviewed the idea in December and at its meeting this month approved a use variance.

In testimony to the board, Sieri and partner David Mapow stated they originally had wanted to operate in the Marmora section of Upper Township in Cape May County.

Mapow, an attorney, is a Harrison Township resident. Sieri, a parts manager at an automobile group, has been a hobbyist distiller for seven years and holds a federal distilling license.

"For those that don’t understand what the term ‘mead’ is, it often is paraphrased as `honey wine,’" Sieri said. "The major difference is (with) mead the base alcohol is made from honey. It can have some fruit adjuncts for flavoring and (some) alcohol output. But the majority of alcohol sugars has to come from honey."

The company plans to open a “tasting room” about two months after manufacturing begins there. Sieri said the tasting room was not possible in Marmora and was a reason for looking at a site in Millville.

Sieri and his partners were among advocates for New Jersey adopting legislation creating a license of cider and meadary businesses.

Mapow and Sieri are former Millville residents.

Joseph P. Smith; jpsmith_dj; (856) 563-5252; jsmith@gannettnj.com

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